Indians Sign 1B Mark Reynolds to One-Year Contract

Tribe hopes Reynolds will be the power-hitting first baseman the club sorely needs

He’s not Kevin Youkilis, and to some extent he’s not even Casey Kotchman, but the Cleveland Indians will be sending first baseman Mark Reynolds out to the field everyday next season after signing the free-agent to a one-year, $6-million deal. Reynolds played for the Baltimore Orioles last season and hit .221 with 23 homers and 69 RBIs in 135 games. Reynolds began the 2012 campaign at third base, but after committing six errors in 40 opportunities, the Orioles decided to move him across the field and give him a shot at first. The results were more than impressive with Reynolds finishing the season with a .995 fielding percentage in 108 games at first base, and it is that defensive prowess that makes him the odds-on favorite to win the starting job this spring.

With the signing, it seems that the Indians are now pulling themselves out of the mix for free-agent third baseman Youkilis, who has also drawn interest from the New York Yankees. The Indians wanted Youkilis to switch positions, which may have been one of the things that kept him from making a commitment to the team as at his age it is not likely that he wants to do that. The Tribe is also interested in free-agent outfielder Nick Swisher, and holds out hope that their offer will be enough to draw the veteran to the ball club. Details have not surfaced as to what is exactly on the table, but it is believed that the Indians are offering a four-year deal that is worth more than the $44-million offer they had on the table for Shane Victorino.